Match-box.



s. STIGLICH & J. w. SGHNELLER.

MATCH BOX.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 20, 1913.

Patented Aug. 18, 1914.

INVENTORY STEP/19v 6776L/6H Jan-fin 11 60/4221:?

ATTORNEYS WIN/E8858 THE hORQIS PETERS CO.. PHOTO1LITHO..WA$HINGTON. D. 1:.

UNITED STATES ipgrnnr OFFICE.-

STEPHEN STIGLICH, OF LAURIUM, AND JOSEPH W. SCHNELLER, 0F CALUMET, MICHIGAN.

'MAT CH-B OX.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, STEPHEN STIGLIOH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lanrium, in the county of Houghton and State of Michigan, and JosErH W. SOI-INELLER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Calumet, in the county of Houghton and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Match-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to match boxes and more particularly to that class of boxes which are automatic in their action.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a box for automatically vending matches, one at a time, and which will keep the matches free from moisture.

Another object of the invention is to provide a box of the class described which will be comparatively simple, durable, efficient in operation and inexpensive to manufacture.

lVith these and other objects in view,

which will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the figures, of which 1 Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the box showing the same in operation, Fig. 2 represents a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken therethrough on one side of the center partition, Fig. 3 represents a view similar to Fig. 2, taken on the other side, of the partition, Fig. 4 represents a sectional view taken at right-angles to Fig. 2 on the plane indicated by the broken line ll of Fig. 2, and looking in the direction of the arrows, Figs. 5 and 6 represent transverse sectional views taken on the planes indicated by the broken lines 55 and 66, respectively, of Fig. 2, and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, and Figs. 7 and 8 represent fragmentary longitudinal sectional views on the planes indicated by the broken lines 77 and 8-8, respectively, of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, it will be seen that the box is substantially rectangular in shape and is divided into two compartments'A and B, for the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 20, 1913.

Patented Aug. 18, 1914. Serial No. 807,886.

purpose of housing the operating mechanism and the matches, by means of central portion 5 which extends from the top to the bottom of the box centrally, and which extends from what may be termed the rear wall 6 toward the front end of the box at which point it is connected with one of the side walls by means of a partition 7 which forms the front wall of compartment A.

The terms, top and bottom, front and rear, etc, are applied to the box as in the position illustrated in Fig. 1.

Extending between the forward ends 8 of the side walls 9 and 10, respectively, of the box, and in spaced relation to the bottom wall 11 of the box, is a pin 12 on which is hinged a door 13 provided with a keeper 14b adapted to engage a stamped lug 15 for normally holding said door in closed position and door 13 is provided for the purpose of allowing matches to be deposited within the box between the partition 5 and the side wall 9. A small door 16 is likewise hinged on pin 12 and extends to the bottom wall 11 of the box, and is normally held in closed position by action of the .wire spring 17, which is secured at one end in a lug '18 formed on door 16, and is secured at its opposite end by soldering or in any other desided manner, to the top Wall 19 of the box. The spring 17 is looped and lies within the compartment A of the box, and lug 18 extends into the compartment through an opening 20 formed in the lower end of the front wall 7 of compartment A. A lever 21 is pivoted on a pin 22 within the compartment A and at its upper end is provided with an arm 23, which normally closes a slot 24 cut in the upper wall 19 of the box and in which is adapted to travel the upper end of lever 21, assaid lever is swung at its pivot by means of a thumb catch 25 formed on the upper end of the lever, which thumb catch, when in normal position, rests in an enlargement 26 at the forward end of slot 24. The lower end of lever 21 is connected by means of a link 27 to which it is pivoted, with a follower 28, which is substantially rectangular in shape and which is connected to the rear end of link 27 by means of a reduced shank 29, which is adapted to travel in a slot 30, cut in the lower edge of the central partition 5, said follower 28 resting nor- :mally in a recessed portion 31, in the lower end of rear wall 6 of the match box and Cir within cmnpartment B, so that when the lever is swung into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the follower will engage one end of the match which rests against bottom wall 11 of the container, and will, as it moves forward, force said match against the small door 16, thereby opening the same, and will project the match outwardly into the position shown in F 1.

In order to normally hold the follower 28 in rearward position as shown in full lines, a looped wire spring 32 is provided, which at one end is connected to lever 21 between the pivot point 22 thereof and the point where said lever is pivoted to link 27 and which is connected at its opposite end to top wall 19 of the box, at the rear end thereof. vVhen the thumb catch is released, the follower 28 will, by action of spring 32 be brought rearwardly into position for engaging the rear end of the next match, and the door 10 will be closed by action of the spring 17 By providing arm 23 for normally closing the opening 24, and by extending the forward portions of side walls 9 and 10 of the box slightly beyond door 13, said opening 24 and the door open ing will be normally tightly closed so as to prevent the entrance of moisture to the in-v terior of the box. The rear wall 6 may be serrated to provide a surface for scratching matches. The slot 30 extends only about half-way the length of partition 5, so as to limit the forward movement of follower 28, and hence the matches are not projected on tirely without the box, but extend only about half their length beyond the box, so that they may be grasped by the operator and withdrawn. The advantage of this construction will be readily seen, since if the matches were projected entirely without the box there would be danger of their falling to the floor before being grasped by the user of the box.

In using the box, after the same has been partially emptied of its contents, it may be found necessary to slightly shake the box in orderto bring the matches against the lower wall 11, and in alinement with follower 28, but this will be found not to be a disadvantage since the normal position in operating the box will be as shown in Fig. 1, so that the matches will always rest against the bottom of the box.

Although the box is shown as being substantially rectangular in shape, it will be understood that the exact configuration of the box and the exact construction and arrangement of the mechanism may be varied, and such changes made therein as do not depart from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A match box having side walls, a top provided with a slot and bottom and a rear Wall, a small and a large door forming the front closure of the box, a spring for normally holding the small door in closed position, a keeper for normally holding the large door in closed position, a partition extending centrally between the top and bottom walls for dividing the box into compartments and provided with a slot, one of said compartments being adapted to receive a plurality of matches, a lever pivoted within the other compartment, and having one end formed with an arm for normally closing the slot in the top of the box, a thumb catch at one end of said arm for operating the lever, a follower positioned within the match compartment, a link connected to said lever and follower, said link being connected to said follower by a reduced portion extending through the slot in said partition, and a spring adapted to normally hold said follower in position to engage one of said matches for forcing the same against the small door and through the opening normally closed thereby, as said lever is operated.

2. A match box having a pair of doors concentrically hinged and adapted to close one end of the box, a spring for normally holding one of said doors in closed position, said spring connected at one end to said door and at the other to the box, a lever pivoted within the box, a follower positioned within the box, a link connecting said lever and follower, said follower being offset transversely of the link, said box being adapted to receive a plurality of matches, a spring for normally holding said follower in position to engage one of the matches, a thumb catch formed on said lever and extending through an opening in one wall of the box and an arm disposed at an angle to the lever adapted to normally close said opening.

3. A match box having a longitudinally disposed partition forming a match and a mechanism compartment and provided with a slot, a hinged door for closing one end of the match compartment, a spring secured at one end to the door and at the other end to the box for normally holding the door in closed position, said match compartment adapted to receive a plurality of matches, a follower positioned in one end of the box in position to engage one of the matches, means within the mechanism compartment for moving the follower against the match, whereby to force the same against the door and through the door opening, said follower disposed transversely of the match compartment, and connecting means between the follower and mechanism extending through the slot in said partition.

4. In a container having a longitudinally disposed partition therein forming compart- Copies of this patent may be obtained for ments Within the container, one on each side of the partition, one of which compartments is adapted to receive matches, the combination of a normally closed door for thematch compartment said door spanning the partition and forming a partial closure for the adjacent ends of both compartments, tension means disposed in the other compartment and connected to the door for normally holding the same in closed position, said partition provided with a slot therein, a follower prO ecting through the slot and STEPHEN STIGLICH. JOSEPH W. SCHNELLER.

Witnesses a PAUL SCHNELLER, FRANK PLAUTZ.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0. 

